ominousspectre's reviews
243 reviews

RIP to people on my community timeline seeing me update old books I read with reviews consecutively lol sowwy everyone

basically? this book is almost 4 stars but the filmmaker is so gotdam selfish that it sets it back a bit

So I like the book/movie a lot and I know the whole thing with Buffalo Bill is that he's literally not trans, that's explicitly stated, however the average person isn't going to internalize that so idk as a tRaNs myself this one kinda set the greater view about my Tsisters back a good bit and I feel :/ when I think about that

Mobilizing the polycule for city avatar warfare

I liked this but there was something keeping me from loving it. Possibly because I'm picky about contemporary in general. This was one of my favorite short stories in her collection, which is why I branched out. Anyways, well done but not my thing!

Do note this is a cultural deep dive into the culinary world, not the usual deep dive into other cultures his shows. It contextualized a lot about his life. Some stuff he says is very 2000, so ah, keep that in mind if you will.

Rest in peace, king.

I think marketing did this book a great disservice by not making it clear it's a prequel to Borne. I have a feeling a lot of people picked this up as a standalone and were left hopelessly confused. I almost did! But you gotta read Borne to read this.

You know how as a writer, you sometimes just want to write about the world you've created in itself, all the little details you created outside of the plot? Dead Astronauts is this. It reads like a bewildering lyrical fairytale at times, which I loved, but I also understand why people might hate. 

Reckless Eyeballing | NK Jemison (3 stars)
love u NK Jemison but this one was a little goofy to me though I enjoyed the theme

Eye & Tooth | Rebecca Roanhorse (4 stars)
Slay brother and sister monster hunter duo

Wandering Devil | Caldwell Turnball (3.0 stars)
felt very neutral about this one

Invasion of the Baby Snatchers |  Lesley Nneka Arimah (5 Stars)
I wanted this to be a whole novella

The Other One | Violet Allen (4.0 stars)
abandonment issues oof

Lasirèn | Erin E. Adams (5 Stars)
"When I wrap my lips around a story I'm not supposed to tell, it turns sour on my tongue. The only way to sweeten it? Name some truths before the lie."

The Rider | Tananarive Due (3.0 stars)
also neutral about this

The Aesthete | Justin C. Key (5 Stars)
"Death is not art...We are all born nearly the same. And there're as many ways to die as there are people."

Pressure | Ezra Claytan Daniels  (3.5 Stars)
This was good I'm just not big on end of the world stories personally!

Dark Home | Nnedi Okorafor (5 Stars)
"When you hang on like that, sometimes things hang on to you."
I love a folklore story.

Flicker | L.D. Lewis (3.5 Stars)
Same as Pressure. Really good but end of the world stories just make me tired.

The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of the World | Nalo Hopkinson (5 Stars)
WOW I'VE BEEN SLEEPING ON THIS AUTHOR.
Probably my fave story. Moving her books up in my tbr.

The Norwood Trouble | Maurice Broaddus (3.75 Stars)
"The orchard protects us."

The Grief of the Dead | Iron Amilcar Scott (4.5 Stars)
D:

A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree | Nicole D. Sconiers (4.5 Stars)
Girls killing people. My brand.

An American Fable | Chesya Burke (4.5 Stars)
Cincinnati mentioned O_O

Your Happy Place | Terence Taylor (4.75 Stars)
This story made me sooo itchy ooough

Hide & Seek | P. Djèlí Clark (4.75 Stars)
This hit me in a sad place.

Origin Story | Tochi Onyebuchi (4.75 Stars)
This one mostly made me laugh but in an existential way

I have many Thoughts™ but I think those are best reserved for those who have read it. I do wish I'd bought a copy instead of my normal library borrowing, as I think I need to reread sometime and make notes.

my only big critique is that sometimes Truant's entries were a bit Much and for those who've read it you'll know exactly what I mean

anyways, measure you house kids! inside and out!

I am still giggling at the fact that the sorcerer villain is named Charles le Sorcerer. This is mentioned in an old Tumblr post , so I needed to see it with my own two eyes. 

It's true besties,

there is no curse, Charles le Sorcerer just breaks into their castle and keeps killing them in normal ways

(As a disclaimer, I have a complicated relationship with HP Lovecraft because he invented one of my fave genres of horror but I also hate him and need to travel back in time and beat the shit out of him)